Blurring The Lines
by Rose Hathaway.007
Summary: Rose is Jesse's blood whore who has Dimitri as his new guardian. Dimitri is drawn towards the enigmatic beauty harbouring secrets; yet her work prevents him from coming close to her. Will he be able to break these barriers & admit what he feels for her?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary **

**Rose is a " blood whore" to Jesse Zeklos, who has Dimitri as his new guardian. Dimitri is drawn towards this enigmatic beauty harbouring secrets of her past life and all her charm; yet her profession prevents him from coming close to her. Will he finally be able to get past these barriers and embrace what he always knew he felt for her? Will he ever be able to completely love her? **

**Disclaimer :**** I do not own Vampire Academy , Richelle Mead does . **

" ….. I could think of a lot of things that we could do …. " she trailed off suggestively while she fingered the rim of his glass , slowly licking her lips .

" Oh , could you ? Care to name some ? " he asked , in his inebriated slur . He was clearly picturing the dhampir in his bed , watching a lot more than just her golden hair flowing down her back . Something in the way she lazily smiled back at him irked the towering Russian who was silently watching this encounter nearby .

" Why don't I give you the details …. " she paused , dramatically looking at the crowd , " Somewhere more private ? "

He was only too eager to take her up on her proposal , and let her tug his arm gently towards the exit of the bar . Amidst all the sweet – talking and flirting that the blond dhampir was performing , one could notice , on keener observation , the glances she threw at an old man sitting across the crowded bar and the pointed nod that he returned as she was about to pass through the gates with the intoxicated moroi man by her side.

Close by , Guardian Dimitri Belikov stood watching this encounter with the shadows of a grimace playing on his face . He was not the judgmental kind , but his recently – acquired assignment to Lord Jesse Zeklos would probably lead him to interact with " blood whores " more often than he was comfortable with . It had only been a few days since he had arrived here and had taken an almost instant dislike to Jesse , not that he would ever let it cloud his sense of duty toward him .

In his periphery he noticed Guardian Mikhail Tanner talking animatedly to a woman at the bar and Dimitri made his way towards his colleague and friend . Having been a guardian for quite some time now, Dimitri knew not to expect the best of behaviours from his charges , but Jesse Zeklos was beyond that line too . Not only did he think too much of himself and too little of everyone else around him , he also made it a point to let his guardians know that fact . Therefore , apart from the self – control Dimitri had taught himself over the years , Mikhail Tanner was probably the only reason Dimitri would not be requesting a change in assignments any time soon . After all , who would want to come to a foreign land to just stay quiet and protect someone who held absolutely no respect for you ?

Just as the man hiding Mikhail from his view moved , he finally caught a glimpse of the woman he was talking to . Her dark brown eyes , the same colour as her hair , seemed to shine in the dim light as she laughed at something she had just said . Her russet tresses flowed down her shoulders where they curled slightly as they came to an end . She was wearing an off – shoulder dress in midnight blue that came to a halt a few inches above her knees. And she held a glass containing a clear liquid that did not seem very innocent.

Dimitri stopped a few feet away from them, regarding the woman Mikhail was speaking to. She seemed enthusiastic in her demeanour and Mikhail looked like he had known her for ages. But, her beauty was what had taken Dimitri aback. To him, she seemed to be glowing in the dimness of the bar and her laugh was intoxicating. She was so very different from every other woman in the room, yet she was so similar to some of them. Dimitri's astute eyes noticed the same old man throw glances at her. She was the same as the woman Dimitri had just been observing.

" You can stop scowling at me now. Maybe you want to come over too? I don't bite, you know." Dimitri suddenly realised that the woman was chuckling and beckoning him over. Then, Mikhail turned around in his seat and said, "Come on Dimitri, what are you waiting for?"

" This is the Guardian Belikov I was telling you about." Mikhail told the woman. " He was just assigned to Zeklos and as usual Zeklos has been a jerk to all of us. Dimitri was off duty tonight so I thought a night out might cheer him up a bit."

" Well, I don't really think it is working though." She said tentatively through her smile. Dimitri felt foolish at that moment and he forced himself out of the trappings of his own mind.

" I am terribly sorry. I see that Mikhail has taken the pains to tell you about me, but he has unfortunately failed to make any mention of your name." Dimitri said, reaching his hand out to take hers.

She smirked and took his hand in a strong shake. Dimitri was surprised. From her demeanour, he had been expecting a soft, polite handshake; but, apparently he was mistaken. " Oh how rude of you, Mikhail." She said. " Let me apologise on his behalf Guardian Belikov. I am Rose Hathaway. Rosemarie to be precise. Although I am not very fond of being called the latter."

" Both are beautiful names, Ms . Hathaway; and deservingly so."

" Call me Rose, Guardian Belikov."

" Only if you extend the same courtesy to me."

She smirked. " OK then Dimitri. Zeklos getting to you already?" She said finishing her drink and ordering a new one. Her question seemed condescending to Dimitri and made him uncomfortable; he curtly replied.

" I am doing fine. We should know better than to expect the best of behaviours from our charges. Lord Zeklos is not doing anything wrong."

" Very by the book, are you? Well, let me tell you something Dimi – " She began but was interrupted by a man who had quietly come up to her. His face was hard and Mikhail seemed to be uncomfortable with his arrival. Dimitri too felt uneasy as the man moved to whisper into Rose's ears. She brushed him off as soon as he had begun and said in a lazy, world – weary tone .

" I am not drunk enough for it yet, Johnny. Go tell him to wait."

The man, who was apparently called Johnny, scowled at her and said. "You know Lord Zeklos doesn't like being kept waiting."

Rose downed her drink and ordered for a shot of a clear liquid. " Yeah. Yeah. I'll be there, you know that."

" You too, Tanner. You are on duty tonight." He said addressing Mikhail.

The man finally went away with a final glare in her direction; and with that Mikhail immediately stood up and spoke to her in a hushed voice; but Dimitri could barely make out the words .

" I hate to see this night after night, Rose. Just don't go. You have friends who will help; you know you have me. Just get away from it, please. At least try."

Rose took her time in taking her final shot, wore the languid smile of one who had seen far more than her share and said , " It is not a matter of trying. You know I can't go, Mikhail. We all have a price to pay, and this is mine."

Then she lavishly turned to face Dimitri and said, " It was nice meeting you, Dimitri. I have a feeling we will be meeting again soon."

With that she walked away in the direction Johnny had gone. Dimitri saw her mockingly salute the same old man he had noticed earlier and then shake her head to herself as she pushed through the crowd and made her way to the exit.

" I guess, I have to go on duty now. See you in the morning man. Good you finally met Rose." Mikhail said hurriedly, running his fingers through his hair and dashing off almost immediately to get Zeklos. Dimitri had so many questions to ask him, most of which revolved around the woman he had just met, but he decided to hold them off for a later time, and finished drinking his water before he made his way back to his room.

**Did you like it? Please let me know what you think about it. Some of the people may seem to be acting out of character, but the reason they are doing so will be revealed in later chapters. Also, tell me if you think I should continue writing this story and how you think it might go . **

**Anyways, thank you for reading the chapter and I really hope you liked it. So, until next time, keep reading and enjoy. :D :D . .**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again. Here is the second chapter for this story. I hope you all enjoy it and continue reading it. I don't want to keep you waiting with lengthy greetings; I know I have kept you waiting with my procrastination long enough. ( I'm so sorry for that :( ….. ) So, without further ado …. Here is the next chapter ….. Keep reading and enjoy :D :D . . **

Rose. That single name captivated and repulsed Dimitri at the same time. He could not stop thinking about those chocolate eyes, nor could he stop associating her with what she was. It bothered some innate part of him and as much as he hated to admit it, he simply couldn't overlook what she did for a living.

But surprisingly, the reality of the mysterious woman had not quite struck Dimitri the previous night; not until Rose staggered out of Jesse Zeklos' bedroom in the morning, right after Dimitri had gone to his suite for duty. Her messy hair flowed over her shoulders, a slightly haphazard version of her style from the night before and she had on the same dress as well. No sign of lipstick, no makeup. Only the dress indicated her whereabouts of the previous night.

She obviously hadn't expected to see him there, causing her to pause when she did notice, but she regained her poise quickly and greeted him with a smile, "Well, hello there. Looks like we meet again, huh? When I said that we would meet soon, Comrade, I wasn't expecting it to be _this _soon. But, I don't think I'm complaining. "

Dimitri was about to reply when his eyes fell on a part of her neck that peeked out through her mane. A part of him had direly hoped that she was not Zeklos' "companion" , but the distinctive bite mark on her neck shattered that hope of his. He felt disgusted and Rose began patting her hair down when she noticed where his eyes had landed. She shifted uneasily, the intensity of his eyes made her uncomfortable.

She moved away and began lightly, trying to draw his questioning eyes away, " Don't you know it's rude to stare, Comrade? Someone ought to have taught you that."

" Well, apparently staring is the nicest thing people do to you. Probably shouldn't bother you as much." He blurted out. Rose stopped in her tracks and Dimitri regretted it the instant the words had slipped out of his mouth. He had no idea why he had spoken his thoughts out loud. Yes, her work bothered him, but who was he to deride her for it. It's not like he didn't know anyone of her kind. He simply preferred to keep his distance.

He opened his mouth once again, this time aiming to redeem himself but the look in her eyes stopped him. She looked furious, absolutely furious. But, somewhere in those brown orbs he saw a tiny bit of sadness as she straightened her dress and said indignantly, " Very well then, Guardian Belikov. If that is the case, I should probably leave now. No use chitchatting here. Have a good day." And with that she rushed out the door in a raging stride.

He wanted to run up to her and apologize, but he decided against it and instead, flopped onto a couch nearby and let out a deep sigh strangled with frustration. He couldn't believe himself. He was no better than the rest. No better than the men he had seen around their village as a child. The men he had come to despise over the years.

This should not have come as a shock to him. After all, there were so many dhampir women in this profession. But, Dimitri just couldn't get comfortable with the idea of letting someone drink your blood, especially in bed. Something about that act simply disgusted him.

But, it was still no excuse for his words.

Dimitri felt ashamed of himself, and frankly, quite confused. Here was Rose, a woman he barely knew, a woman he had been talking to the previous night, and this morning she emerged from his charge's bedroom. Why did this bother him as much? _Should _it bother him as much? He didn't have an answer to it, yet it sickened him to think of what had happened here last night.

But, one thing was for sure. No matter what Dimitri did, whether he was tossing and turning in bed at night, or sitting on the couch in Zeklos' living room, his mind always stumbled back to the dark – haired woman he had met. It was always her, and it was droving him crazy. But, his preoccupied mind let slip the slight shuffle he had noticed in Rose's steps as she had walked, fuming, out the door.

**Did you like it? Tell me what you think about it in your reviews. :D …. Thank you for reading the chapter and I hope you stick around to read the next one too ….. So, until next time ... Keep reading and enjoy :D . :D . . **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey again guys. This is a quick update for you all. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Also, thank you for your encouraging words, I really appreciate them. But, I would also like to know how you think this story will play out and what you want to see in the future chapters of the story. It is kind of hard to work on the story without a lot of feedback, so, it would be great if more readers would let me know their thoughts via their reviews. …. So, without further ado, here is you next chapter …. :D :D . . **

Dimitri had gone to work a little late ever since the encounter with Rose, and he was pretty sure that she left a little early every morning too. The only proof of her actually being with Jesse almost every other night was Jesse waking up and bragging to Dimitri about how " that Rose girl was well worth the money", and Dimitri was getting increasingly tired of this. Not only did Jesse's demeanour bring back too many memories, but it also made it nearly impossible for Dimitri to forget her.

It was not until a few days later when Dimitri was browsing through the shelves in the library on his day off, that he saw Rose again. She was sitting there, lost in a book, at the far end of a tucked away table. She didn't seem to notice her surroundings, and Dimitri decided on this moment to deliver a much deserved apology. He caught her attention as he went up to her, but she didn't raise her eyes from her book, which had, as Dimitri noticed, " Tolstoy" written on the bottom of the front cover.

" Hey, I didn't know that – " he began in a friendly tone, seating himself next to her, but she cut him off mid – sentence.

" That whores could read. Is that what you didn't know, Guardian?" She finally looked up at him, and the acid in her expression came as no shock to Dimitri.

" That's not what I was going to say, Rose."

" But, that's what you were thinking. That's all that people think."

" I was going to say that I didn't know you liked Tolstoy, that's all." Dimitri explained and paused for a moment before continuing. " And why would I think that, Rose? My mother loves to read; and so do my elder sisters."

He didn't know why he would choose to confide in her, a woman whose profession made him rather uncomfortable, but he didn't even think twice before letting her know this about himself. It seemed natural to him. Perhaps, he was simply trying to make amends, who knows? But, he somehow felt relieved of a burden once he told Rose.

Rose had previously gone back to turning the pages of her book while listening to what Dimitri had to say, but this made her look up at him with surprise etched on her face. She studied him for what felt like an eternity and finally snorted and stood up.

" Looks like your mother taught you _really_ well then." She said, her voice dripping with derision, while making her way towards the exit.

" I only wanted to apologise for what I said. I really am sorry, Rose. I didn't mean to." He blurted out, in a final attempt at making her listen.

" Very well. It's been noted." She spoke curtly and turned to leave.

That was the last Dimitri had seen of her. And it was what he was thinking about when he heard Mikhail call him over to his table at a nearby café.

" Hey, Dimitri. Come on over. Where have you been lately? We haven't really hung out in a while, have we?"

Dimitri was about to greet him and take a seat when he heard a very familiar voice complaining from behind him.

" That guy at the counter _always_ messes up my order. I'm beginning to think that he does it on purpose. Or maybe he is just that stupid."

Rose stopped in her tracks when she saw Dimitri and threw a questioning glance at an unaware Mikhail. " Well, look who we have here. Is it just me or are our encounters becoming rather frequent?"

" Mikhail here called me over a few minutes ago. I thought he was alone, but I should probably leave to you both to yourselves." Dimitri tried to excuse himself.

" Nonsense. Sit down, it's all fine. Judging by the way you look, it probably wouldn't hurt you to get a cup of coffee. Fair warning, your coffee will most certainly wind up being something very different from what you ordered." She said, seating herself.

This confused Dimitri. A few days ago, Rose seemed to hate him and now she was inviting him to join them? That is why he couldn't resist asking, " But, I thought you didn't want to see me, or was I just imagining that?"

" Wait. Why wouldn't you want to see him? Is there something wrong?" piped in a clueless Mikhail.

" It's a long story, Mikhail, don't even bother about it." She told him, and then turned to Dimitri and said, " I wouldn't go out of my way to meet you, but, now that you are here I am not exactly the one to hold grudges. I have been through much worse."

Dimitri felt uncomfortable discussing this in front of their friend and decided not to pursue the subject as Rose brought her cup to her lips and took a sip.

" I could really punch that boy now. He gets it wrong every single time, and he happens to be the only person manning this stupid café." Rose declared.

" I wouldn't be surprised if you did punch him, Rose. It is a wonder that you didn't." chortled Mikhail.

" I would have if no one was looking. All those years of training may be good for killing Strigoi, but it doesn't really provide the best public spectacle. I don't usually pick fights where people can see me." She replied jovially.

" Wait. You have been trained to be a guardian?" blurted out Dimitri.

" Hell yeah. A _class A_ guardian at that." Chimed in Mikhail.

" I'm flattered, Mikhail. I bet I could kick your ass any day of the week." She laughed and then turned to Dimitri, "Well, Belikov. Between the Tolstoy and the former guardianship, you must think I am a badass, huh?" Rose snickered, leaning back on her chair.

Dimitri chuckled at that. Despite back the innumerous questions that this little piece of information gave rise to , Dimitri actually felt comfortable in her presence for the first time. The three of them talked about a range of things, most too insignificant to matter, and Dimitri found himself laughing, something he hadn't done in a long time.

And as Rose stood up to leave some time later, she said, " See you guys later. And Belikov, I am now _sure _that we will meet soon." Dimitri nodded with a smile in reply, but something about her expression astonished him. Her smile was enchanting as usual, but her eyes seemed to bore into his very soul, as if it lay bare in front of her for her to read. He found himself eager to meet her again, but certainly not in the way that he did the next time …..

**Did you like it? What do you think will happen next? I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you let me know your thoughts via your reviews. Until next time, keep reading and enjoy ….. :D :D . . **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone. Here is the next chapter in Rose and Dimitri's story. I hope you all like it. Be sure to let me know what you think …. Keep Reading and Enjoy …. :D :D . . **

Jesse Zeklos was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. No. In fact, he was born with a spoon encrusted with diamonds and made of 24 karat gold in his mouth. He was the only son of his more than well - to - do royal family and therefore, he invariably donated both, his abundant riches and time to the posh bar at the Moroi Court.

He spent a major part of his waking hours at the place, which were already limited in number, and the rest he spent holed up in his room doing almost the same things he did at the bar. And due to this erratic yet ironically monotonous schedule of his, Dimitri Belikov found himself hovering solely between these two places for duty. Which was unfortunate because Dimitri happened to despise both of them; the loud music nauseated him and so did the stench of inebriated, sweating bodies grinding against each other.

But being a Guardian left him with little choice, so he clung on to the only good thing that almost always came out of this arrangement; he would get to meet Rose. Granted, that Dimitri felt it was a bit more comfortable for the both of them to avoid each other in the morning, but there was no discomfort in the evenings when Zeklos was throwing around his money at the bar. Mikhail, without anything particularly better to do, would occasionally come around a little early to assume his duty so as to meet both of them for some catching up. Only today he had promised to meet Zeklos at his apartment directly for he had some business of his own to settle.

Nevertheless, a spectacle hadn't seemed likely to occur as Rose and Dimitri were sitting at the counter and talking about recent goings - on at Court. But the moment Johnny, the guy who had called on Rose the first night, came up to her and began fiercely whispering into her ear, things were doomed to go downhill.

" When does he not act crazy? Leave me alone, it's not time yet." said Rose, trying to shoo him away.

He grabbed her arm. " You don't get it, do yo-"

" Yeah, I understand everything. The kid's getting out of hand and you want to me to handle it. But, I already told you, Johnny. That is not my job nor is it my problem, and therefore, not my headache. Now I would appreciate it if you went back to your dealings because, as you can see I have company that I actually like spending time with." she said shrugging him off herself, and reaching for her drink. But, she stopped short when a guttural, nearly croaky voice said, "Of course, it is not your headache. Why would it be?"

It was Jesse Zeklos in all his heavily intoxicated glory. He could barely keep himself upright by this point but the intensity of his eyes trained on Rose was hard to ignore.

He staggered over to her and with a single finger slowly traced the side of her face and said, " Of course, it isn't it. You're just interested in one thing aren't you, Rosie?"

Dimitri watched this exchange with utter discomfort. Every fibre in his body screamed at him to seize Zeklos and perhaps teach him a lesson or two in manners, but a quiet, insidious part of him whispered that she _was_ an escort after all.

Rose pushed Jesse's hand away and spoke in a calm voice, feigning playfulness, " Don't call me that, Jesse. You know I don't like it."

" Oh, I know exactly what a girl like you likes, Rosie. And I hope you know what I like pretty well too. Don't you hope so?" he said with a distinctive slur to his words. Yet, his steely, arrogant eyes did not lose their intensity.

" Why don't we talk somewhere else?" she said, throwing a nervous glance in Dimitri's direction who had managed to remain in his seat only by conjuring every ounce of control he had in him. This was going far beyond what he was comfortable with, but he tried to keep a handle on himself.

" Oh. Is he the reason you don't want to talk here?" Zeklos continued his rambling as he pointed to Dimitri. His voice was now tinged with anger. " Is he a buddy of yours? Fucking him too, are you slut?"

" I think that's enou-" rang out Dimitri, no longer caring about the treacherous voice in his head.

" Stay out of this, Dimitri." pleaded Rose, but he could barely hear her now. It brought back too many memories; the situation was too familiar for his liking. In his periphery, he noticed Rose's eyes flicker to the white - haired man he had seen on the first night, the one who seemed to have been observing every escort in this place.

" No, Rose. He has n-" Dimitri began, but Rose quickly tugged Zeklos away saying, " Just stop, Dimitri. Come on, Jesse. Let's take this somewhere else. You know I wouldn't go behind your back. You know me, baby. " she smiled at him and he returned a sly one as they moved away. " That's my girl. Hey, Johnny, tell Tanner not to show up tonight. I have something extra special in mind for this girl here." Zeklos shouted over his shoulder.

Dimitri stood there, his mouth agape. What had just happened? Was he going to simply stand - by and watch all over again? He felt disgusted when he saw Rose look over at him apologetically as she was passing through the exit. Dimitri heard a voice ring out from behind him as he was trying to push away thoughts of what Jesse meant from of his mind.

" Oh. Don't look that taken aback, Belikov." laughed the Johnny fellow. It was a cold, derisive one that made Dimitri's blood boil.

" What's so funny?" Dimitri growled.

" You trying to be a hero is not gonna work. The faster you learn this the better. You see that guy the blonde broad over there is talking to?" he pointed at the silver - haired man once again. "He can make things a lot worse for your little crush."

He began to leave and Dimitri heard him say over his shoulder, " She may be a whore, but she was smart to just take Lord Zeklos away in the nick of time. It is a pity though. We didn't get to see some action here tonight. If it were up to me, I would never have stopped you Belikov. I wouldn't want to miss out on the fun."

**Did you like it? Please tell me what you thought in your reviews. Remember, the more reviews you write, the more motivated I get to write this story. It really does help to know that people are reading it, otherwise, it kind of feels futile …. **

**Also, I would love to hear speculation about what might happen next and any and all suggestions are welcome. :) …. **

**Anyways, I want to thank all those who have been reading this story and giving me feedback. Until next time …. Keep Reading and Enjoy ….. :D :D . . **


	5. Chapter 5

Today was an unexpected day - off. Dimitri had gone to bed thinking that in 24 hours he would be headed to New York with Mikhail and Zeklos and he woke up to find out that he didn't need to. Dimitri had apparently been replaced for the trip.

Feeling surprisingly relieved, he decided to head out for his employer's apartment to get the documents that Mikhail had left for him there the previous day. How fun it was to read security protocol ! Dimitri sighed in joy when he realised what his day was destined to hold for him.

To add to that, Dimitri felt sickened due to his inaction the previous night. He had just sat there watching a starkly familiar episode unravelling in front of him and he couldn't even form a sentence. Perhaps it was because something had hit too close to home. Or perhaps, and more likely so thought Dimitri, he was not much of a man of action. He was indecisive by nature; rendered impotent by the slightest of dilemmas. This had always been a suspicion of his but now he saw no point in denying it. That's just the kind of man he was.

So as he drank his morning coffee, Dimitri Belikov resolved to try to begin to mend this fault in his character. And what better way to do that than pay Rose - the source of the recent - most quandary itself - a visit and an apology. Maybe that would heal his conscience enough to help him plow through the security briefing.

And he did see Rose, earlier than he thought he would, and once again, not how he had hoped to see her.

The moment he heard loud metal music playing from behind Zeklos' locked front door, Dimitri knew something was wrong. It was peculiar when he thought about it because Zeklos must have left less than an hour ago to meet Mikhail at the terminal. Nonetheless, his training dictated him to check for signs of a break in. So, Guardian Belikov checked the perimeter of the apartment. None of the windows showed any signs of a break in nor did the back doors which opened into the garden. He pushed back a slight bout of nausea when he saw the ruffled bed which bore the signs of a busy night through the window and chose to enter the house through the garden door. He was determined to get the documents from the living room and bolt.

To his chagrin, the nausea returned when he entered the room, mixed with anger and a range of emotions Dimitri didn't know he was capable of having simultaneously.

First he noticed broken glass shimmering on the floor, then his eyes travelled to a tiny pool of blood gathered around Rose's arm. Not much blood, but it was there. And Dimitri lunged towards the unconscious woman lying on the floor, instinctively checking for signs of life. He felt a pulse, and heaved a sigh of relief. Without losing a moment he lifted her slowly onto the sofa nearby. He laid her down before sitting on the floor and realising what might have happened in the room.

It didn't take a scientist to comprehend the happenings though, the open gash on Rose's forearm and the bruises littered over her body was evidence enough. What was harder for Dimitri, though, was coming to terms with it. Everything about it was too familiar …. too close to home. And Dimitri wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle it a second time.

Minutes passed before Dimitri could go into the bathroom to look for first - aid supplies. He found a shoddy pass at a first - aid box with nothing except a little length of gauze, a tiny bottle of antiseptic and two pathetic band aids in it. He went back and got to work.

Dimitri had to play with the minimal supply of gauze so that it would actually cover the entire length of the wound. He could run out and fetch some more but an irrational part of him couldn't leave her there. He knew Zeklos was in New York, and no one else was likely to come swinging by but Dimitri still couldn't leave for even a minute. She didn't seem to have any other major injuries. And although the thought of taking her to the hospital did cross Dimitri's mind, he had a feeling she would not take well to the idea when she would wake up. So, seeing as how she was sleeping at the moment, he decided to let her have this one for now. It was the least he could do.

And he waited for her to come to.

Rose looked peaceful in her sleep. Even her breathing had become deep and paced. But sitting next to her on the floor, Dimitri was anything but peaceful. Scenes from his childhood played themselves in his mind. And his imagination toyed with the scenarios that could have taken place in this very room the previous night. It was a cruel trick for his own mind to be playing on him, and as the hours passed he began to wonder just how much his actions had contributed to Rose's predicament.

After what felt like an eternity, Rose began to stir awake from her slumber and Dimitri sprang to his knees beside the sofa.

Confusion marred Rose's eyes the moment she saw him. " What are you doing here ? Where am I anyways ?" She tried to look around.

" Zeklos' apartment."

By now she was examining her bandaged arm and said, " So I'm guessing it wasn't just another dream, was it ?"

" I'm afraid not." said Dimitri grimly. " I'll get you some water."

He returned from the unstocked kitchen with a glass of water to find Rose lying on her side, scrutinising the damage in the room.

" Thanks." said Rose before gulping down the water. " For the water and for not taking me to the hospital."

" I had a feeling you might want that." Dimitri threw a pursed smile.

He waited, not knowing how to breach the subject. He didn't have to know, though, for Rose did the honours for him with indignation dripping from her voice.

" You think I owe you an explanation, don't you ? Well let me tell you someth-"

" You don't owe me anything, Rose." Dimitri cut her off and paused. He hesitated before he verbalised his thoughts. " I just want to know if you're ok. Do _you_think you are ?"

" Of course this is not OK. Now you think I'm some clueless victim who is so blind that she doesn't even know that this wrong. Who doesn't know any better. Believe me, I'm not an idiot. I'm not nearly the next victim of some distortion of Jack the Ripper." she snapped. " Last night just got out of hand, alright ? I wasn't in my right mind. It was an anomaly."

Anomaly. The very word made Dimitri's blood boil.

" You're a trained guardian, aren't you ? I find it hard to imagine a scenario in which a Moroi as weak as Zeklos would be able to overwhelm you in any physical way, Rose."

" I was not in my right mind. I told you." Rose said, trying to dismiss the topic.

" What the hell does that even mean ?" Dimitri cried out.

" You don't understand."

" Then make me."

Rose looked at the obstinacy on his face and sighed in defeat. With her unwounded hand she flipped her hair a bit and touched her neck. Then she emphatically said, " I wasn't in my right mind."

Dimitri mouthed an "Oh". Rose smirked at his realisation and said, " You preferred it when I was the clueless victim, didn't you? You're pretty quick to judge considering what you told me about your mother, you know."

Dimitri tried to regain composure. The concept of letting Moroi drink blood had always made him uncomfortable.

" I'm not judging, Rose."

" Oh please. Just look at your face."

Dimitri sighed once again. " Fine. Maybe I'm a little uneasy about the whole blood drinking thing, but that doesn't mean that I have something against you. I don't, and you have to stop assuming that."

Rose surveyed his face in search of sincerity and what she found there must have convinced her for she said, " Alright. We both will stop making presumptions about each other from now on. Now, do you think you can find me some alcohol in this shitty place, Comrade ?" She smiled, and eventually, so did he.

Off he went into the kitchen in search of liquor, deciding to let the lighter mood settle in. They would deal with Rose's many problems later on.

" What are you doing here anyways ? Weren't you supposed to be off to NYC with the asshole ?" asked Rose when handed a glass of whiskey.

" Well, I seem to be have been replaced. Last night's encounter may not have sailed that well with him. I mean the one at the bar, of course."

" So you got demoted, huh ? Must be tough."

" It's surprisingly relieving. Hard not to be happy when given an opportunity to steer clear of Zeklos."

She laughed. " True." She paused. " But you're not going to be reassigned, are you ?"

The jest had melted away for a moment, and in that instant, Dimitri found a genuine candour in Rose's bottomless brown eyes. And as quickly as their gazes had locked, Rose had broken away.

" I mean, I wouldn't want you to lose your job or something because of me, you know." she finished quickly.

Dimitri composed himself. " No, I don't think it's that bad. From what I've seen, it's more likely to be a mood swing."

" Poor Mikhail's all alone with him." she said as she turned over on the sofa. Dimitri examined the gash on Rose's skin, spots of blood, now dry, were visible through the shoddy bandage, and mumbled. " Yeah poor Mikhail."

The sight of the wound made guilt surge in Dimitri and before he could stop himself, he blurted out, " Do you think Zeklos did this because of me ?"

" What ?"

" Do you think he hurt you because of what happened at the bar last night ? I mean, he clearly wasn't happy about us talking."

Rose covered her astonishment with a laugh. She began languidly" Don't be silly, Comrade. You really think the world revolves around you ? That everything that happens is somehow the consequence of what you did or didn't do ? Come on, grow up. Plus, there's no point in speculating and beating ourselves up over this. It's in the past and something like this will stay in the past, believe me you."

Hardly convinced, Dimitri once again decided not to pursue the matter. It was best left in the past for a little while. For now he could help take Rose's mind off her pain and, if he was lucky enough, he would be able to convince her to go to a hospital for a check up.


End file.
